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The Slimming Pool Weight Loss Blog: Hey, I was Eating That!

Monday, March 28, 2005

Burger King in Race for Biggest Sandwich

Burger King has introduced two new sandwiches in what they call their "flavorful and indulgent breakfast sandwiches" selection to meet the growing (pun intended) need of starving Americans; namely, the Enormous Omelet Sandwich and the Western Omelet Croissan'wich. The sandwiches' names tell the story: Enormous anyone? When a sandwich tells you right up front that it's enormous you can bet it'll be a dilly. ?The Enormous Omelet Sandwich is everything people love in a breakfast sandwich, but twice the size and twice as satisfying,? stated Denny Post, the chief concept officer at Burger King Corporation (BKC). Oh, yeah! Have it Your Way, all righty.

According to their way innovative nutritional dropdown, pick your foods so we can't be blamed approach, they state the Enormous Omelet Sandwich has 730 calories, 47 grams of fat (17 saturated), 9 grams of sugar, 43 grams of carbs and 1860 grams of sodium. Yumbo. I think their numbers are slightly off because they list each ingredient, but give no estimate for the oils, etc. used in the cooking. You know they don't cook those eggs in water.

They didn't have nutritional info listed for the Western Omelet Croissan'wich (dumb name if you ask me), but it was just introduced this morning so you couldn't expect them to update their website in a timely fashion, right? They only knew this new item would be introduced today for what, maybe six months? The advertisers got the memo, why not the web guy?

Not to be out done, I heard on the news just this evening that Hardies offers a hamburger that clocks in at over 1400 calories and 110 grams of fat! Holy heart attack, Batman! That is just plain ridiculous. You might as well just lay in the street cause you're as good as dead if you eat that very often. "Want fries with that?" "Why, I think I do, and one of them apple pies too, if you please." And people wonder why they're gaining weight. Sheesh. I tried to find info on it, but was unsuccessful finding a website for Hardies. That seems odd. It's also odd that I ran into tons of posts about how much people do not like that chain. So sad to hear. We don't have them around these parts, and I could be misspelling the name, so sorry to them, if that's the case.

According to Burger King, people were clamoring for a decent sized breakfast sandwich after voicing their displeasure at the skimpy offerings. Apparently the public is none too pleased with BK's attempts to offer healthier choices and worst of all, smaller portions. "Not in my backyard," or in this case, "Not in my fast food joint!" seems to be the common cry. We want it for the other guy, but not for me.

There is no way fast food places are going to scale back their menus. That's just not what the buying public wants. Remember when they tried salad bars? Didn't work.

I totally love the lame idea of cut up fruit and a mini bowl of yogurt. Like I'm going to a restaurant for that? The cut fruit in the grocery is too expensive, so how much do they charge for that, and how hungry would you be a half hour later? I'll bet it's one of the first to go.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Monday, March 28, 2005

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Survived Another Holiday

I may be slow but I just realized that holiday candy is nothing more than regular candy in new clothes. Yes, Virginia, that colorful looking wrapping hides nothing special underneath.

I found myself putting an Easter goody in my cart and as I pushed toward the checkout I read the back, chocolate, coconut, "Hey, I thought. This sounds just like a Mounds Bar," so sure enough I wandered to that aisle. (This is why it takes me hours to do the grocery shopping). I checked and yes indeed, the ingredients were the same. Here I was ready to shell out premium dollars because they'd taken a regular candy bar and put it in a nice shiny wrapper all dressed up for Sunday school!

I put it back. I look at candy bars all the time but I rarely buy them. Usually all it takes is a glance at the nutritional panel, and when I see the 12 grams of fat I think, "I'd rather have cheesecake," and put it back.

So, next holiday make sure you aren't just paying extra for the pretty packaging. If you don't usually buy candy bars, why are you buying them now in their Halloween or Christmas colors? What is it about the red-white-and-blue packages that we are drawn to (frankly, those are not colors that are generally associated with food anyway). What about the pastel M&M's? That's just dumb to me becaues it's the bright colors that makes me want M&Ms in the first place. Take that away and what have you got?
For the record, I could have a million white M&Ms and I doubt I'd ever touch them.

So, next time you're wandering the holiday aisles, just keep in mind, you are paying more money for the same thing. Wait for it to be really special. Shop speciality stores. This marketing ploy is just not funny anymore.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Monday, March 28, 2005

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Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Rice Recipes - Win $5000 Top Prize

If you've got some great recipe everyone raves about featuring rice, enter the 7th Annual Rice to the Rescue Recipe Contest.

They say, "only original and unpublished rice recipes" well, duh, you're not going to just go copy straight out of your Betty Crocker cookbook, but what really is an "original recipe?" How many different ways can you put the same ingredients together? Let's see, take rice, add milk, sugar, vanilla, you've got rice pudding. Is that original? No. The originality comes in how the recipe is titled, how the ingredients are listed, etc., and if you add some little twist, say a sprinkle of cinnamon, that couldn't hurt either.

My husband makes the most awesome Salmon Rice Couquettes which is a mix of rice, salmon, onions, celery (I don't know, he makes it), then patted into shape (he made a metal cookie cutter for this), and dredged in sesame seeds for an outer coating, then lightly fried in some sesame oil. Oh, these are so good it's not even funny.

Then he makes the most delicious sauces and you just put a bit on the top, all fancy looking. We eat these with steamed greens and it's just so good. It's like having my very own gourmet chef!

Sadly the contest states six ingredients or less and preparation time under 30 minutes, and these take about 35 minutes so dang it! We so would have won that contest. It's so good even the kids love it, and you know how kids are. My son thought I was trying to poison him when he asked for apple juice and I handed him a glass of unfiltered juice from a local farm. "What's this?" he said. "Apple juice," I replied. "What's all this crap in it," he disgustedly remarked. "It's just not filtered," it's better for you, blah, blah, blah. He just made a face like I'm a freak. That's what I get for waiting on His Majesty hand and foot.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Tuesday, March 22, 2005

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Lower Sugar Pre-Sweetened Cereals Not Healthier

Big surprise here but experts are weighing in on the new "lowered sugared" versions of pre-sweetened cereals and their findings shouldn't surprise anyone. You can't take sugar and a splash of flour, and switch it around and make much difference. It's still sugar, and a splash of flour.

Although the new cereals do have less sugar, the calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and other nutrients are almost identical to the full-sugar cereals. There is no benefit to the consumer at all, but who thought there would be?

Lower fat products usually have more sugar. Lower carb products have artificial sweeteners (debate rages on their safety), and now the "Low Sugar" versions are really just a disguised marketing ploy. They'll probably cost more too, so watch out!

Give your kids some oatmeal once in awhile. I loved it when I was a kid, brown sugar on top and all! Far healthier than Sugar Pops (oh, right they changed their name awhile ago), or Sugar Smacks (oh, wait! They changed the name of that cereal too!). Where is the graveyard for all the old cereals who featured "sugar" in their names? That sounds like another research project ... how many cereals have changed their names to appear more healthy when in fact, they are the same garbage disguised as good food as always?

That's why I argue that eating cake for breakfast is no different than eating a bowl of sugared cereal. So go ahead. If you want something sweet. Hold off in the evening, and have that dessert the next morning. It works for me.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Tuesday, March 22, 2005

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Monday, March 21, 2005

Biggest Burger in Kansas: When Food is Bigger Than Your Head

You thought you liked burgers? Check this offering from the Seabrook Tavern in Topeka, Kansas:

This is one jihugeous burger!

For the "rest of the story" check out The Seabrook Tavern.

Not to be outdone, here's another entry:

I like the looks of this thing, yes I do.

Here's Foodmarket.com's story about Denny's Beer Barrel and their 11 pound burger!

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Monday, March 21, 2005

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Friday, March 18, 2005

Hoodia Diet Pills - Do They Really Work?

The next big wave to hit diet shores are Hoodia Diet Pills. Hoodia is an herb that grows in Nepal and has been used for centuries by the bush people for something to chew on long journeys. It would help them continue without hunger, which is why it's suddenly the miracle weight loss product. Remember, the native use is to help with hunger, not weight loss. Bush people don't need to lose weight.

So, keeping a keen eye on the hunger aspect, remember, fraud is rampant in the weight loss industry. Put on your "scam detection radar glasses" before you believe the hype. The main claims that are unlikely to be true include 1) You can lose weight without changing what you eat (if this were true you wouldn't need to lose weight in the first place), and 2) You don't need to exercise (it helps enormously to become more active, so why not promote it?).

That said, I will try herbal products and when I first read about Hoodia and the native uses, it seemed pretty impressive. Since then I've tried some capsules of powder I got online, and recently bought some hard pills at a local store. I liked the powdered caps better, so that's what I'll buy in the future.

I got an amazingly good result with the Hoodia Diet Pills, but it quickly was obvious this is not some miracle weight loss drug. It doesn't make me feel any different so you could take it and forget it, unlike some products that make you feel jittery, but what's most surprising is what happens when you're not paying any attention.

Hoodia Made me Forget to Eat Breakfast!

As an example, I normally eat breakfast every morning. I'm hungry when I wake up, and breakfast is my favorite, so I don't need to think about it, I just eat it. One morning I took the Hoodia when I first got up, and then went about my usual business on the computer and getting ready. Before I knew it, I was grabbing my jacket and starting to walk out the door when I realized I'd forgotten to eat breakfast!

Since I still didn't feel hungry I figured I'd just eat something once I got to the office. Since I usually get hungry again around 10 AM, it was quite surprising to notice I didn't feel really hungry at all until closer to 11 AM.

Now, before you get all excited and think you can get Hoodia and then never be hungry again, that's probably not what'll happen. I've tried it at other times of day without the same result. It may be more related to whether you're involved in an activity (i.e. you're attention is focused on something besides eating), and whether you're reasonably well fed to begin with.

If you don't eat quality food very often, you'll tend to be hungrier, despite eating a whole bag of chips. Your body needs nutrients and it'll keep pestering you until you give it something real to eat.

At this point, I like Hoodia Diet Pills and will be buying them again. Remember, Hoodia isn't going to take away your appetite to the extent you'll never be hungry but they can certainly help when you have "inappropriate hungers" such as in the evening after you've already eaten a big dinner, or other troublesome snacking times. Whenever is your roughest time, that's when I'd give Hoodia a test run.

Key to Weight Loss with Hoodia Diet Pills

The key to getting a good weight loss result with Hoodia or any other appetite suppressant type product is learning to pay attention to your body's hunger signals. In other words, if you ignore hunger now (eating way past satisfied into the uncomfortably full zone, or eating when you're not hungry at all in anticipation of future hungers for instance), then paying attention to your hunger needs to be addressed either first, or at the least simultaneously while trying Hoodia.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Friday, March 18, 2005

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Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Xenical Helps PCOS Sufferers Lose Weight

There may be an alternative for those suffering from PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome), a hormone imbalance that interferes with normal ovulation. Women with PCOS do not have normal, regular menstrual cycles and may have multiple small cysts on their ovaries. The main problem is the hormonal imbalance which affects other body systems, such as the metabolic and cardiovascular systems.

British researchers in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism's February 2005 issue reported that from 10%-50% of PCOS patients are obese. It's also well known that reducing weight can greatly help alleviate the symptoms of PCOS.

Metformin is often prescribed, a diabetes drug, given to reduce the chances of miscarriage. Metformin itself does nothing for weight loss.

Xenical versus Metformin for Weight Loss

This excellent article by WebMDHealth.com reports on a study done with PCOS sufferers to see whether Xenical may help them lose weight and relieve other symptoms, including excess testosterone. Results showed those taking both drugs found a reduction in testosterone, significant because excess testosterone is largely why women with PCOS have side effects such as excess facial hair and have difficulties with conceiving and carrying a child to full term.

This is very good news, especially if Xenical also helps with weight loss, since even a small drop in weight can also help alleviate PCOS symptoms.

The side effects of Metformin which are reported at a 30% or greater include: diarrhea, gas, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, bloating. Yuck. That doesn't sound so sweet. Three out of 10 is a pretty significant number in my book.

If you suffer from PCOS, it may be worthwhile to ask your doctor about trying Xenical.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Wednesday, March 16, 2005

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Monday, March 14, 2005

Does it Work? Fat Mat, Removes Fat & Calories

Picked up a "Fat Mat" at the bakery supply for no good reason except it looked cool. What's a Fat Mat? Glad you asked. It's sort of a heavy-duty reusable paper towel, but more expensive and had a nice package. I picked one up at the bakery supply for no good reason except to satisfy my required "impulse purchase" quota for the day.

It could be months before I'll have an opportunity to test the Fat Fat, so I went looking to see what others had to say (I should have done this first). Today's my lucky day because I found Does it Work? a regular segment at KCBD News Channel 11 in Lubbock, Texas. Wow! Now this is quality broadcasting. Useful. Timely. I love it!

I don't know about you but I've been duped by that "As Seen on TV" crap time and again. How many times I've bought something, took it home, it didn't work, only to find you can't return it to the store, oh, no, it's only returnable to the manufacturer, and guess what? It costs money to ship merchandise. Yes, indeed. They know they've got you because who's going to spend $5 to ship off a faulty product then wait around to see if you ever see either it or your money back? Not me. So when someone else does the testing, well that's top notch, quality reporting in my world, and I tip my hat to those brave folks at KCBD.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Monday, March 14, 2005

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Sunday, March 13, 2005

How Not to Make Sugar Free Rice Krispy Treats

I started my quest to make a sugar free Rice Krispy Treat months ago when I went in search of a sugar free Marshmallow Kreme. I first bought fat free Marshmallow Kreme and didn't realize until driving home that I'd screwed up. There never was any fat in there -- the label fooled me big time!

I finally made a trek across the city to get the Marshmallow flavoring. I could have ordered online, but hey, if I can buy locally and save the shipping, I'll do it, even though it meant driving way out of my way and spending half the afternoon, not to mention buying a bunch of extra crap I didn't intend, so all-in-all, saving the $2 shipping probably cost me about $30. Anyway, off I went to The Decorette Shop, a bakery supply shop located on Foster Rd. at 54th Street in Portland, Oregon. I could spend hours in stores like this, and that's where my trouble began...

Walking in a book rack smack dab in the front doorway caught my eye, so I stopped to browse. I swear, they kept coming by and asking if they could help as if I was setting up a cot and planning to stay the night. I finally said, "You must not sell many books," referring to their obvious discomfort that I was loitering, or whatever they thought was going on. Really, I was just a shopper, okay? I'm not buying a book without looking at it, it's not a crime, at least not last I checked.

If you're going to stock thousands of items don't freak out when someone actually wants to stop and take a look, okay? Clerks? Are you hearing me? I hate being asked if I need help when I'm obviously doing just fine, thank you. Ask me when it's obvious I need help. Look for those subtle clues customers give like looking frantically for a clerk, eyes darting here and there. That helpless, "I have no idea where what I want is located in your fine store" look; seeking, searching but not finding. That's the look of a customer who needs help. Head in a book, contented expression means this person does not need help. In fact, asking if I need help is an interruption I don't need.

I'm off track, back to the saga of the Sugar Free Rice Krispy Treats: I procured the Marshmallow Oil and eventually made my way home where I commenced the project of making Marshmallow Creme, then creating the world famous Rice Krispy Treats, hoping for such an incredible breakthrough in sugar free taste treats that I'd be famous and make millions of dollars. Uh, huh, sure.

What I got instead was a Snap, Crackle, Pop experience when I poured on the marshmallow glop, which I was pretty sure I shouldn't be hearing. Next thing you know I have a soggy mass of Rice Krispy Not-such-a-treat, and I went ahead and put that in the pan because I'm nothing if not persistent.

It looked pathetically bad, so I added more Rice Krispies hoping to crisp it up a bit. It didn't work. The wet krispies sogged up the dry krispies so now I had more wet krispy crap. If you closed your eyes it smelled okay, but if you mistakenly put some in your mouth you were in for a bad surprise. It had no crisp and I think that's a critical component in the Rice Krispy Treat -- hence the Krispy part of the name you see.

The Anti-Martha Stewart

After all this I realized I'd used about 35 pans and utensils so I got out the camera and displayed them all in a fine arrangement if I do say so myself, then took a shot, all so I could illustrate this wonderful yet sad little story ala Martha Stewart style. Hey, maybe I'm the anti-Martha Stewart? I always failed at No Fail Fudge. Seriously.

So, if you want to make the Sugar Free Rice Krispy Treats I'd suggest you don't. I'd rate them less than zero if I could, on a scale of anything to zero. They sucked, badly. I'm not happy I drove all over town, spent about $35, then an hour making marshmallow and finally figured out it was a disaster, but hey, someone's got to do it, right? Might as well be me, at least this time. Next time, how about you try something and let me know? That would be swell.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Sunday, March 13, 2005

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Friday, March 11, 2005

Does Eating Farmed Fish Cause Increased Appetite?

This just in from the "Dumb and Dumber" files: Scientists have developed a chemical being fed to farm bred fish which, get this, causes them to be so hungry they will eat anything. Since regular fish feed is expensive, this is a way to save money because the fish will then eat anything at all. Typical science gone mad, but what happens when we eat the fish? Do we then get a dose of these chemicals? l don't want an uncontrollable appetite, thanks anyway, Mr. Scientist.

There has long been a clear distinction that what animals eat, we eat. Certain plants that cows ate were found to cause illness in humans, so they moved the cows away from the plants drawing an obvious conclusion that what the cows eat, we eat. Why then do they continue to debate whether chemicals given to the cows, chickens and now fish we eat get into our bodies? It's not rocket science people!

If you wonder why girls are developing breasts at 8-years old, look to the milk. Cows have been given growth hormones for decades, and now our little girls are maturing at an accelerated pace.

The amount of hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals given to animals in our food supply is appalling. Feed lot pens are sprayed with pesticide to keep away the flys, which filters into the noses, and onto the skin of the animals. It's not safe to walk in your backyard after they spray pesticides, yet apparently the FDA believes it's fine for us to eat cows and chickens that have lived bathed in a daily mist of those same chemicals?

And now they are going to introduce a chemical which enhances appetite to fish? Do these scientists all hold a degree from Cracker Jack?

Just say no to farm bred fish. You can also buy your meat from a local butcher who is likely obtaining his meat from a local farmer, most of whom do not use these practices. It is the large farms that use the worst feed and the worst processing conditions. Avoid that and you may just avoid a lot of the side effects from eating chemical laced foods. Think about it.

Posted by OneMoreBite-Weightloss on Friday, March 11, 2005

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		Kathryn Martyn Smith, M.NLP Body Mind Therapy, Weight Loss Coach 210 NW 78th Street Vancouver, Washington 98665 360-695-3184

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